Sound producing instruments and carton constructions



June 6, 1967 J. w. HENRY 3,323,251

SOUND PRODUCING INSTRUMENTS AND CARTON CONSTRUCTIONS Filed June 18, 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 In venfor By James W Henry June 6, 1967 J. w. HENRY 3,323,251

SOUND PRODUCING INSTRUMENTS AND CARTON CONSTRUCTIONS Filed June 18, 1964 2 Sheets-5heet 2 m FIG. 6

Inventor James W Henry wwaxm A Hys.

United States Patent Ce 3,323,251 SOUND PRODUCING INSTRUMENTS AND CARTON CONSTRUCTTONS James Warren Henry, Clarksviile, Ind., assignor to The Firm Industries, Chicago, ill., a corporation of Illinois Filed June 18, 1964, Ser. No. 376,012 6 Claims. (Cl. 46-175) This invention relates to whistles, or flutes, and more particularly it relates to a carton and a whistle, or flute, which are made of sheet material, such as cardboard, and are formed integrally with one another in a fashion such that the whistle, or flute, is detachable from the carton.

It is an object of this invention to provide a whistle, or flute, which may be cut from a single sheet of material, such as cardboard, with a minimum waste of material, and which may be folded flat for shipping, after it has been formed.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a carton and a whistle, or flute, which may be cut, as integral units, from a single'sheet of material, such as cardboard, with a minimum waste of material, and which may be folded flat for shipping, after it has been formed. In this respect, it is a still further object to form the carton and the whistle, or flute, in a fashion such that the whistle, or flute, may be detached from the carton, Without damaging either the carton or the whistle or flute.

It is a still further object to provide a whistle, or flute, which may be formed with a minimum amount of cutting, scoring and gluing, and which has substantially all of the cutting, scoring and gluing, as well as the folding, performed in parallel relation, in either a horizontal or a vertical manner so that cutting, scoring and gluing may be easily accomplished.

It is a still further object to provide a carton and a whistle, or flute, which may be formed as integral units with a minimum amount of cutting, scoring and gluing, and which have substantially all of the cutting, scoring and gluing, as well as the folding, performed in parallel relation, in either a horizontal or a vertical manner so that cutting, scoring and gluing may be easily accomplished.

It is a still further object to provide a carton and a whistle, or flute, which may be cut, as integral units, from a single sheet of material which are arranged so that both the carton and thewhistle may be folded flat for shipping or storing, or the carton formed and filled, with the whistle collapsed and folded alongside of the carton for shipping and storing, or the carton and whistle bothformed, in which case a product may be packaged in the carton and the carton with the formed whistle attached thereto used to provide an eye-catching, attractive display.

Other objects of the invention will in part be obvious and will in part appear hereinafter.

For a fuller understanding of the nature and objects of the invention, reference should be had to the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which:

FIG. 1 shows a blank from which a flute may be formed;

1 FIGS. 2 and 3 are end and side views, respectively, of the flute formed from the blank shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 shows a blank from which a carton and a whistle may be formed, as integral units;

FIG. 5 shows the carton and the whistle formed from the blank of FIG. 4, folded flat for shipping;

FIG. 6 is an end view, showing the carton folded for filling and the whistle folded flat against one side for shipping or storing;

FIG. 7 is an end view, with the carton folded and ready for filling, with one end flap open, and the whistle folded in its usable position; and

3,323,251 Patented June 6, 1967 FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the carton folded and ready for filling, with the whistle folded in its usable position and attached thereto.

Similar reference characters refer to similar parts throughout the several views of the drawing.

In FIG. 3 is shown a flute 48 formed from the blank 50 which may be cut or stamped from a rectangular-shape sheet of material, such as cardboard. It may be noted that the blank 50 has four apertures 51-54 formed at spaced intervals in the section 55 and the two sections 56 and 57 are cut-off, or terminated, just short of the aperture 51 in section 55.

The apertures 51-54 may be opened and closed with a persons fingers to change the tone of the flute 48, in a well known manner. The shortened sections 56 and 57 allow the air stream to resonate in the central cavity 49, to vary the tone of the flute 48 when the apertures 51-54 are opened and closed.

In FIG. 8 is shown a carton 64 having a whistle 62 removable attached thereto. The carton 64 and the whistle 62 are formed as integral units from the blank shown in FIG. 4.

It may be noted that the blank 60 has a perforated score line 65 formed therein, and that the portion of the blank 60 to the left (as shown) of the perforated score line 65 forms the whistle 62, while the portion to the right of it forms the carton 64.

The carton portion of the blank 60 is divided into sections 80-83 of substantially equal width by means of the score lines 84-87 and a smaller flap section 88. The

score lines 84-87 traverse the length of the blank 60,

parallel to the side edge 89 and the perforated score line 65. A pair of parallel score lines 90 and 91 extend across the width of the carton portion of the blank 60 to divide the sections -83 into rectangular sections having the same length as the length of the whistle portion of the blank 60.

The portion of the blank 60 above the score line is cut along two lines 94 and 95, which extend the score lines 84 and 85, respectively, to form end flaps 92 and 93. The end flap 92 is also cut-away along tapered line 96 and a straight line 97 which is parallel to the score line 90. The end flap 93 is cut-away in a similar fashion, along the tapered line 98 and the straight line 99. The end of the section 81 above the score line 90 is scored along a line 100, parallel to the score line 90, to form a closing end flap 101 which may be folded to close the one end of the carton 64.

The portion of the blank 60 below the score line 91 is cut-away along the oppositely tapered lines 102 and 103, along the straight lines 106 and 107, parallel to the score line 91, and along the score line 91 the width of the section 81 to form end flaps 104 and 105 on the other end of the carton 64. A line 108 is also cut as an exten sion of the score line 86. The end of the section 83 below the score line 91 is scored along a line 109, parallel to the score line 91, to form a closing end flap 110 similar to the closing end flaps 101, which may likewise be folded to close the other end of the carton 64.

The whistle 62 is formed by folding the sections 66-72 at right angles to one another along the score lines 73-78, and folding these sections so that the sections 66-68 are overlapped by the sections 70-72. It may be noted that sections 70 and 72 are slightly wider than sections 66 and 68 so as to provide an air space 63 between the sections 67 and 71, as shown in FIGS. 7 and 8. Adhesive is applied between the edges of the sections 66 and 70, and 68 and 72, to secure the sections together to form the whistle 62.

The carton 64 is formed by folding the sections 80-83 and 88 at right angles to one another along the score lines 84-87, and folding these sections so that the flap section 88 lies inside the section 80, as shown in FIG. 7. Adhesive is applied between the edges of the sections 80 and 88, to secure the sections together to form the carton 64.

After the sections are folded and secured, as shown in FIG. 7, the carton 64 with the whistle 62 attached thereto along the perforated score line 65 may be folded flat, along score lines 65, 75, 77, 85 and 87, for shipping or for storing the same, without causing damage to them, as shown in FIG. 5. When folded and collapsed in this fashion, the whistle 62 and the carton 64 have a maximum thickness equal to the thickness of three layers of the sheet material, and may therefore be easily stacked and stored in a compact arrangement.

It is apparent that the end flaps 92, 93, 104, and 105 and the closing end flaps 101 and 114) can be folded to overlap the sections 80453, to form a still smaller unit, with a thickness equal to the thickness of four layers of the sheet material.

The carton 64 can be formed into a tubular shape by applying a light force to two opposite corners thereof and the end flaps 92 and 93 then folded to overlap one another and the closing end flap 101 folded to overlay them with the end portion 111 tucked into the carton beneath the section 83 to close one end of the carton 64. The carton 64 may then be filled with the product to be packaged and the endflap 104 and 105 and the closing end flap 110 folded in a similar manner to close the other end of the carton.

It may be noted that the whistle 62 attached to the carton 64 may be left in its collapsed state and be folded to lie along one side of the expanded carton 64, as shown in FIG. 6. This arrangement is therefore advantageous in that the carton 64 may be filled and the filled carton 64 with the whistle 62 attached thereto may still be easily stacked for shipping or storage.

An eye-catching, attractive display can be provided by forming the carton 64 and the whistle 62, as shown in FIGS. 7 and 8. The carton 64, in this case, is formed in the manner described above, and the whistle '62 is formed by applying a light force to two opposite corners of the whistle 62 and by then folding the end 120 of section 69 along the score line 121 to lie in a plane parallel with the top section 67 and along the score line 122 to vertically align the portion 123 thereof to close the end of the whistle 62. In this case also, the side edges of the sections 120 and 123 engage the side walls 66 and 68 and prevent the Whistle 62 from collapsing. The end 120 of section 69 is not secured by means of an adhesive and it may therefore be easily removed so that the whistle 62 may again be collapsed.

It is apparent that a flute, such as the flute 48 shown in FIG. 3, could be formed integrally with the carton 64, as well as the whistle 62.

The whistle 62 is easily removed or detached from the carton 64 by tearing the whistle 62 and the carton 64 apart along the perforated score line 65. For this purpose, the perforated score line 65 is preferably extended the length of the mating edges and'is substantially weakened by a number of perforations which pierce the sheet material.

The carton 64 and the whistle 62 are easily cut from a rectangular shaped sheet of material, such as cardboard, as an integral unit since only a minimum number of cuts are required, and the majority of these cuts are straight cuts, in either horizontal or vertical planes. Furthermore, it may be noted that the majority of the score lines on the blank 60 are parallel and extend in the vertical direction, and only four of them extend in a horizontal direction. Scoring of the blank 60 may therefore be easily accomplished also.

The carton 64 and the whistle 62 are formed and secured by applying adhesive to only two sections thereof, and the adhesive, like the cutting and scoring, is applied in vertically extending parallel areas. Gluing is therefore likewise easily accomplished.

It will thus be seen that the objects set forth above, among those made apparent from the preceding description, are efiiciently attained, and since certain changes may be made in carrying out the above process, in the described product, and in the constructions set forth without departing from the scope of the invention, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description (or shown in the accompanying drawings) shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

It is also to be understood that the following claims are intended to cover all of the generic and specific features of the invention herein described, and all statements of the scope of the invention, which, as a matter of language, might be said to fall therebetween.

Now that the invention has been described, what is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent What is claimed is: 1. A carton and a whistle-like, tubular-shaped sound producing instrument formed as integral units from a single blank of sheet material, said instrument being connected to said carton along one edge thereof and operable by blowing air through it to generate a sound, said instrument further being detachable from said carton with out damaging said carton or said instrument.

2. A cart-on and a whistle-like sound producing instrument formed as integral units from a single blank of sheet material, said instrument being connected to said carton along one edge thereof, said carton including a plurality of successive sides arranged in tubular formation and overlapped with two of said sides secured to one another, and folded end flap means on each end of said carton closing the ends thereof, said instrument including a plurality of successive sides arranged in tubular formation and overlapped to form said sound producing instrument and being operable by blowing air through it to generate a sound, said instrument further being detachable from said carton along said one edge without damaging said carton or said instrument, said carton and said instrument each being both useable together and independently of one another.

3. A carton and a whistle-like sound producing instrument, as claimed in claim 2, wherein said one edge is weakened by being perforated.

4. A carton and a whistle-like sound producing instrument formed as integral units from a single blank of sheet material, said instrument being connected to said carton along one edge thereof, said one edge being weakened to allow said instrument to be detached from said carton without damaging said carton or said instrument, said carton including a plurality of successive sides arranged in tubular formation and overlapped with two of said sides secured to one another, folded end flap means on each end of said carton closing the ends thereof, said instrument including a plurality of successive sides arranged in tubular formation and overlapped to provide a first and a second closed chamber, one of said sides having a tongue portion formed integral therewith which is folded to close one end of said second chamber, said first chamber being opened at both ends, two of said sides having an opening formed therein which over-lie one another when arranged in said tubular formation to provide air openings in said first and second chambers.

5. A carton and whistle-like sound producing instrument, as claimed in claim 4, wherein said tongue portion norm-ally functions to maintain said sides of said instrument in tubular formation, said tongue portion further being removable from the end of said second chamber to permit said sides to be collapsed and said instrument folded substantially fiat against one side of said carton in an inoperable position for storage or shipping.

6. A carton and a whistle-like sound producing instrument, as claimed in claim 4, wherein the upper one of said two sides which over-lie one another has a plurality of 5 6 finger closable apertures formed in it for changing the 2,134,971 11/1938' Guyer. tone of said instrument. 2,859,555 11/1958 Paige 46-179 3,142,130 7/1964 Weitzell 4611 References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 5 RICHARD C. PINKHAM, Primary Examiner. 1,116,043 11/ 1914 Elliott. DELBERT B. LOWE, R. F. CUTTING, 1,860,710 5/ 1932 Gilbert 46-172 Assistant Examiners. 

1. A CARTON AND A WHISTLE-LIKE, TUBULAR-SHAPED SOUND PRODUCING INSTRUMENT FORMED AS INTEGRAL UNITS FROM A SINGLE BLANK OF SHEET MATERIAL, SAID INSTRUMENT BEING CONNECTED TO SAID CARTON ALONG ONE EDGE THEREOF AND OPERABLE BY BLOWING AIR THROUGH IT TO GENERATE A SOUND, SAID INSTRUMENT FURTHER BEING DETACHABLE FROM SAID CARTON WITHOUT DAMAGING SAID CARTON OR SAID INSTRUMENT. 